Get Artistic With Two Glass Workshops in Clinton

CLINTON TWP. -- Try your hand at working with glass, invites the county Department of Parks and Recreation. These workshops will be held at the county arboretum and are designed for ages 16 and up. These classes will be taught by artist Leanne Blevins.

Intro to Glass Bead Making will be held on Fridays, March 6, 13 and 20, 6-9:30 p.m. for $65 (plus a $30 material fee, to be paid to instructor during class). Students will learn to create unique glass beads. Using a special torch, they will learn to wrap hot glass around steel rods. Basic bead shaping and decorative techniques will be covered.

Fun With Glass Fusing will be taught three Fridays, April 24, May 1 and 8, 6-9 p.m. for $55 (plus a $65 material fee, to be paid to instructor during class). Glass fusing is the art of layering pieces of glass, then firing them in the kiln at about 1,500 degrees to permanently fuse them together, and then firing them again to set their shape.

This process is called slumping. Students will cut glass and design several pieces, including a set of coasters, a pendant or magnet and a dessert-size plate or candle dish. Using colored glass pieces, glass dots, glass frit (sprinkles) and glass noodles, students will create unique and colorful designs. Different texturing techniques will also be explored. Pieces will be fired at instructor's studio and students will be notified when projects are fired and ready for pickup at the arboretum.
For information on Ms. Blevins, visit www.MagicGlassArt.com.
For information, call 782-1158 or visit www.co.hunterdon.nj.us and click on "Parks & Recreation."